U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel in Austin ruled there is sufficient evidence that a law banning Planned Parenthood from the program is unconstitutional. He imposed an injunction against enforcing it until he can hear full arguments.

The law passed last year by the Republican-controlled Legislature forbids state agencies from providing funds to an organization affiliated with abortion providers. Eight Planned Parenthood clinics that do not provide abortions sued the state. The clinics say the law unconstitutionally restricts their freedom of speech and association.

"The court is particularly influenced by the potential for immediate loss of access to necessary medical services by several thousand Texas women," Yeakel wrote in his ruling. "The record before the court at this juncture reflects uncertainty as to the continued viability of the Texas Women's Health Program."

Texas officials have said that if the state is forced to include Planned Parenthood, they will likely shut down the program that serves basic health care and contraception to 130,000 poor women.

The court's decision comes after the federal government cut off funding to Texas because of the state requirement. Federal officials said the rule violates federal law by restricting women from choosing the qualified medical provider of their choice.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry promised to make up for the lost federal funds. ***State health officials say maintaining the program was cheaper than allowing it to expire, because ending the program would result in a spike in unplanned pregnancies among poor women who rely on Medicaid, which is also funded by the state.***

Yeakel's decision is temporary. A final decision will come after he presides over a full trial. Whatever decision he reaches will likely be appealed.

**You see, the morons that come up with these "cost cutting ideas" don't think of the big picture. All they look at is the temporary savings.**

Hawkeye: I just saw your last post from last week's Forum. I am A-OK with funds for the convention trips, thanks to some savings set aside for such opportunities. There are grants for those who don't, however.

Sharon Wylie on Saturday requested that Clark County Democrats start a travel fund to support those candidates who need some help with expenses and she donated $100 on the spot to start it going.

Were it not for this, the folks representing the Democratic party at these conventions would not be a representative sample.

“This amendment would have run roughshod over the fundamental, constitutionally protected reproductive rights of all Oklahoma women," said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which filed the case against the measure. "In affirming our request to strike it down, the court has struck a powerful blow against the repugnant tactics of those who seek to vote down the rights of others, and to enshrine their hostility to women’s lives, health, and rights in the laws of the land."

Sweet Tomatoes restaurant has a deal for those of us that are 60+. On Monday thru Thursday between 2pm and 5pm you can get all you can eat PLUS the drink for $6.99. That's a hell of a deal and no coupon needed, just show your ID. Plus tax of course.

WASHINGTON -- Harry Reid, as majority leader of the United States Senate, has done "a terrific job," according to the most celebrated historian of the institution in a generation. Robert Caro, author of "Master of the Senate," the Pulitzer Prize-winning volume of his Lyndon Johnson biography, said that Reid's opponents and their abuse of the filibuster have made running the upper chamber "near impossible."

"Spring has come, and this is our reawakening," said Matt Presto, a 25-year-old graduate student who has been involved in the movement since before it occupied New York City's Zuccotti Park on September 17. "We're rejuvenated, and I think this will be a display of collective force and what we're capable of."

nail @ 9:04 PM: Indeed, tomorrow is a day Occupy Wallstreeters are calling: "A Day Without the 99%". Maybe I will be "sick" tomorrow and check out the goings on. This is a big deal and I just heard of it, thanks to your vigilance.

Now ain’t this a hoot. Here’s this Democrat Party. See. And they like this cradle to grave welfare thing. And they want the government to take everyone’s money and put ot in a big pool so the government can spread it all around. But when it comes to their own Democrat Party Conventiions…why…everyone’s on their their own. That’s right: they have to pay their own way! HA!

Now here’s the even funnier part. They’ve got people stepping up and VOLUNTARILY donating their money to help other convention delegates out. Where’s the government when you need it? HA! These people must believe in George Bush’s 1000 points of light!

Now how come these Democrats don’t set a good example and put in their platform, how the centralized Democrat Party has to pay for everyone? They can collect everything at the top, and then spread it down to the state and local Democrat organizations (minus, of course, the collection and admistrative costs at the national level, and then the state and local levels, and a little for graft.) There may be a few problems with whether they’re going to use Motel 6 or the Hiltons, food and tranportation allowances, and a few things like that, but with the proper beaurocracy, I’m sure these Democrats can figure it all out.

Here's your link to Portland's activities. As near as I can tell, the "legitimate" (permitted) event has the traditional focus on workers. Two earlier events appear to be more Occupy-oriented. I'm pretty sure the 9 a.m. one is where they plan on "liberating" an abandoned house they've been occupying. The neighbors aren't amused. Still, the owner is out of state, and the house has been left empty for some time. Doesn't Oregon have a "squatters rights" law????

read your first two paragraphs and look for the irony. First, in typical fashion, you mistakenly paint the d's with a very broad brush. Then you go on to mock them for not paying for the delegates' way to the convention, insinuating someone else should pay their way. Is that what the r's do? Have someone else pay the bills?

But when those individuals help others to pay their way, you mock that. Sounds like people volunteering to help other people. What's wrong with that?

Not a call for Dems to rest, if anything get "fired up and ready to go"!

"Forward"!

Just a head spinner for the right.

**The Electoral College Vote - Obama a Sure Victor**

Here's a news flash: Barack Obama is a certain winner when the real votes are counted next January. Forget what the TV pundits tell you. Pay no attention to the chattering class as they make their living by handicapping the so-called horserace. That race is run. It's a done deal.

Why is it after every incident that happens, the occupy group comes out and says this..Their actions don't represent the group. Really, are we to be that naive to believe this Bull...Nail, it will get more interesting as the election nears, that is true... I have been to several of these in vancouver to actually get a first hand view of the concerns... here is what I assertained first hand..the news groups over estimate the attendance figures by 50%...The messages were ramblings without substance and most of the people attending didn't know why they were there in the first place... Kinda like lemmings...

vanwa- *The messages were ramblings without substance and most of the people attending didn't know why they were there in the first place... Kinda like lemmings...*

Sounds like a bagger rally! Sounds like a few that post here! ;))

I'll trust media numbers before your numbers vanwa. Nothing personal. It's that expression "you are what you eat"...sometimes we are what we watch. You might have picked up some bad habits watching Fox news! :) Or be prone to 'Rush' to judgement! :))

As I look forward today to listening to the book of Matthews as I dine on sculpted Maddows.

mrd @ 7:14- I read k_nD ... thrice as he suggested and have the same takeaway. I have the same questions also...but I don't think the answers will make a diff.

Nail,I actually used my head and counted myself , pretty easy at esther short.. Didn't even have to take off my shoes and count on my toes.LOL Nothing personal:) You'll trust the media??Really... since when would someone trust one facet of news reporting... Believe nothing of what you hear or read and 100% of what you see... Thats called first hand news... Nothing Personal:)

So the FBI created another plot, and then foiled their own plot? The fact that one or more of them may have attended an occupy rally is really irrelevant. Freedom of speech is far too important to be stifled by this.

Fro-I'm very OK with freedom of speach but not Freedom of destruction..How much damage did these Yahoo's do in portland 60K...not to mention the 80K of overtime it cost the city of portland and what 20K it cost the city of vancouver...Just Sayin!

just got a call from JHB inviting me to a coffee tomorrow at 8:30 in Washougal. now I know why there where only 50 at her deal in Ridgefield. No press and little advance notice. But as I read her response to a question from her last coffee, pretty much the same old stale crap I'd expect from a politician. Our representatives in DC are in election year mode big time, and doing nothing is the norm. They can't take any risks prior to the election, and evidently they feel doing nothing is the safe bet.

Richard Grenell, a former George W. Bush administration official and presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's controversial choice for national security spokesman, is leaving the campaign less than two weeks after his appointment.

That dad-burned Obummer...takin' away ma guns..an' freedoms. Eyes jist Know that he aren't one a us!

**Missouri Birther Bill Moves Forward**

"I completely understand the concerns of people who want to make sure that our Constitution is willing to be obeyed," she said. "Our president is supposed to be born in the United States. But, I just don’t know if there are enough people out there that are willing to stand up in opposition to it."

I defend the actions of the May day protesters, however I do not defend the actions of the minority among them that committed criminal acts. As a true conservative I support the right to peaceably assemble and I oppose attempts by any governmental agency to require a permit to exercise any constitutional right.

Frobert, I don’t think anyone is going to argue against the right of peaceful assembly, in this country. Historically, it is based on the rights of the people to redress greivances against their government. Certainly you are aware of the SCOTUS treatment of this issue. While one may peacfully assemble, they may not restrict the rights of others. Which is what has happened here. I do not share your sympathy for the OWS’ers.

The problem is too many people are willing to restrict the first amendment rights of people they disagree with. No matter what people are protesting they will always be joined by a criminal element, but that does not eliminate the first amendment rights of the others.

It's going to be a long time before these people are going to be taken seriously if they keep this crap up. I think everyone of them that picked up any kind of weapon, be it a baseball bat or garbage can, should be arrested.

There is a time and a place for everything, there is also intent. Arrest isn't always conviction, is it? I would call it being proactive. If they don't want to be arrested, leave the weapons alone. Not a tough call for an intelligent person, or a dumb one. Even you should be able to understand that. Better safe than sorry.

No, but I would make the threat to the protesters. And then I would follow through on the ones that had taken a swing and I would make sure everyone knew about it. Are you going to tell me that's wrong too? Too bad. There has been too much property damage by these idiots and it needs to stop and they need to pay for it.

The Boston Tea Party was a criminal activity, against property, that we have taught generations of US children to honor.

I've said before - no one gave a damn about Vietnam War protests until they started breaking laws.

Perhaps something to consider is that in our youth we see less of a need for constraint than we do when we age. In my early 20s I used to drive my Duster 120 mph on I80 in PA; this seems pure insanity now. And now that I've spent a lifetime earning and acquiring possessions, I have a little more respect for property rights than I did when I was young and owned nothing.

Just saying - there's got to be a line that can't be crossed. Where that line is is harder to define - Thoreau, Gandhi, MLK Jr and many others have discussed this, and we don't have a consensual agreement.

roger @ 5:27- Great post! Often times the thoughts and actions that shaped our lives, we condemn in others. I hope those in Occupy will remain peaceful this year while they root out the ill intended.

fro- Sometimes you get it right, but I understand where hawk is coming from.

In this day and age of conceal & carry/stand your ground atmosphere, why should one be arrested for carrying a stick/garbage can, when stalking and killing unarmed youth is perfectly acceptable for many. Again. Some laws need to be enacted at the Fed level. To many states run amok with their laws because nutjobs get elected.

How can a cop feel threatened with a garbage can when they are armed with a 9mm/shotgun/gas/spray/taser/billy club/full riot gear and a band of brothers w/same to back them up?

Law enforcement need to behave themselves this year. We the people have had it.

nailingit, protesting in the 70's was a little different. Back then, as you might remember, we were protesting a little thing called the Vietnam war where people (our friends and neighbors) were getting killed everyday. We were trying to get the war stopped and bring those people back home. The protesters today are protesting........ what exactly ARE they protesting? Rich people? Homelessness? Corporations? I'm really not sure what they are protesting and I don't think they do either. And yes, many were following the rules and doing what they were supposed to do, and that was fine but those in Seattle that we saw in the black clothing, attacking buildings and other things were the exception and needed to be arrested. And the way a cop can feel threatened by someone "just" carrying a stick is when one comes up behind him and hits him over the head with it or several of them gang up on a single cop and beat him with it. The cops are usually outnumbered in these things and they have to be careful about what they do in response to the protestors. It's never one on one or as simple as green or red.

hawk-what you said is true. there's a lot of just plain stupid people making these demonstrations look like they're nothing but a bunch of hell-raising idiots. There's also a lot of folks rambling on about a jillion different causes.

But it's also true that civil disobediance will move the needle much faster than the ballot box. The last few election cycles have shown, in my opinion, participating in a bought and paid for system by voting is a fool's errand. We brought in the D's starting in '04 and began bringing in the R's in '10. Same old, same old if not worse. I believe that as long as the minions in DC can keep the lid on, there will be no change. Only when the lid is blown off will any meaningful change occur.

It is not up to you to see their purpose, if a group takes a ludicrous stand that is their business. Whether they are celebrating Beltane or protesting Wall Street is of no consequence, those peaceably assembling or protesting have a Constitutional right to do so, those committing crimes, should be dealt with accordingly.

I did see some purpose in the occupy rally last year in Vancouver, but as they passed around the mike, a lot of speakers with any old axe to grind talked. But the overwhelming majority of folks I saw where my age, even older, and very concerned about the major issues. Then came the plethora of people whining about everything. It became easy to see the lack of focus. A lot of good points were throw into the mix with minor, very minor issues. General dissatisfaction with the system was a common thread.

Jamie's coffee? I'm not a fan of coffee, and even less so of politicians. If I'm going to hear a bunch of blathering double talk, I'd rather hear it shopping for a used car.

You know what fro, it is up to me and everybody else to see their purpose if they actually want to be heard on whatever it is they want to be heard on. If they can't get their point across to me or you or congress or the President, then their efforts are totally wasted. I'm not telling them they **can't** protest, I'm saying that they need to be clear on what that protest is about. Otherwise, how can they expect any support.

At least the folks were able to peacefully assemble (for the most part-always a few goofs) in New York. But I guess the police protect Wall St, no assembly allowed there. Makes you wonder, who's interests gets the protection? But I don't think many would have to think-it's obvious.

Madore knows. The way he was bankrolling Turley's & Wentzel's campaigns last fall, he seems right at home in the 1%. Heck, he even has his own PAC. He's a true 1 per center if I ever saw one. You gotta luv these folks. They own the government yet always scream to get it out of their hair so they can make some more $$$$$.

MRD- I like it when people complain about something, yet given the opportunity to face the issue they fail to meet the issue face on.. You should have gone to the coffee asked your questions and listened to the response , then form your opinion, instead of giving an opinion without her asnwer in front of you..

Hawk-Whats your staement about Madore have to do with the price of tea in China$$$$

I've had many years to form my opinion of politicians. 60 seconds with Herrera wouldn't change my opinion or her's. I'd need thousands of dollars to get her attention-real attention-and then maybe there's a chance. If she hasn't figured out what issues are important by now, I doubt she, or any politician, can or will.

Other than opposing the CRC, I'm not sure what Madore stands for. Clark County Commissioners just stole some of his "make Clark County more attractive to businesses" thunder by passing the road fee waiver. Beyond that, I'm not hearing much from anyone - Dem or Rep.

Frankly, I figure if we fired all elected officials - cities and county - and put the 3 who run Port of Vancouver in charge, we'd probably be better off.

Not a fan of the Port folks. Know too much about one past and present to think that Coruption doesn't exist....I do agree that the commissioners all need to go..The Good ol buddy system needs to change now.. As far as Madore. I haven't heard enough personally yet to form an opinionas to exactly what his plans are other than he opposes the CRC , which I do not but thats his and my opinions... And that he wants the best for Clark County which he needs to expand on , "what he thinks is best" or what is really best for CC...If you look at this mornings traffic all the way back to 134th heading south just to cross the bridge, we should note the cost in ( Time sepent waiting-Gas spent sitting-Insurance spent sitting or accidents) if you put all that into perspective which many folks don'tI would think those costs FAR outway the cost to each individual they percieve they will be paying in taxes to pay for the bridge. Remember folks in Florida will also being paying for a bridge they'll never use...

> Frankly, I figure if we fired all elected officials - cities and county - and put the 3 who run Port of Vancouver in charge, we'd probably be better off. -- roger — May 2, 2012 at 7:17 p.m.

I could not disagree more. A few years ago, those port commissioners voted to raise taxes on the port district taxpayers. Washington State law grants them the power to do so. That tax increase was overwhelmingly defeated at the ballot box throught the initiative process. Perhaps they had the best of intentions, but is there ever a time when government cannot find a good reason for more tax money?

The one port commissioner who was up for reelection, last time, ran unopposed. (Madore filed to run for that seat, but withdrew shortly thereafter.) I don’t live in the port taxing district, so I have no say. But as far as I’m concerned, they should all be booted out.

hawk @ 8:29 3/2- *The protesters today are protesting........ what exactly ARE they protesting? Rich people? Homelessness? Corporations? I'm really not sure what they are protesting and I don't think they do either.*

I have to think most of them do. They do need to get a simple/popular message that resonates with the 99%. i.e. income disparity, foreign policy, the banks, even though it all ties in to Wall Street. Strong numbers tend to overcome violence and violence tends to escalate when numbers diminish in my opinion. I hope Occupy get it together this year. Hawk, we've ran a fairly successful avatar Presidential campaign, maybe we should tell them how it's done. Here are a few ideas for us to banter about...

The movement needs a face, a strong coherent message and a new name..............

Face=John Lennon- Whose going to vilify a dead Beatle? He can't answer questions he hasn't already answered. He's not an American citizen and would lend a different perspective. And he's cool. Imagine!

Message=Unprecedented USA Income disparity/Tax the Churches- Because it's true and it's the right thing to do. :)

Name=Rock U Pie- It sounds similar and wouldn't tax the mind as much for those in the movement who aren't clear & for conservatives. And it could be used as a pick-up line. And it's cool.

roger @ 7:17- *Frankly, I figure if we fired all elected officials - cities and county -*

Be careful roger. It's the same train of thought that brought us the 2010 House. Even though the House has polled historically negative, the baggers that managed to blur the lines in 2010 are more than satisfied with who they elected. They are a wrench in the works that impedes our "Socialist Collectivist over expanded/reaching government. Their goal is to stop/destroy/impede government operations.

The port commissioners unanimously approved a tax increase to pay for the purchase of the old Alcoa site and other properties. Apparently, the port has the legal right to impose tax increases without a public vote. Unlike public school districts and libraries.

A petition drive by some rather upset citizens put the issue on the election ballot, and that tax increase was defeated by around a 3 to 1 margin.

Here are a couple of takes on the issue by a leftist and a rightist web site:

By state law, a port cannot introduce ballot measures without referral from a petition of qualified voters living with in the port district. On February 5, 2007, the commission set the process in motion by activating the IDD levy. Shortly thereafter, a citizens group began a grassroots effort to gather at least 9,126 valid signatures on a petition to put the levy on the ballot.

Also:

Ports are allowed, by the Revised Code of Washington (RCW 53.36.100), two six-year IDD levies, the first of which does not need voter approval. The Port of Vancouver used its first six year levy in 1958 to purchase land in Fruit Valley. Much of the land was later sold to Frito Lay, which has been a long-time fixture, providing living-wage jobs in Vancouver ever since.

Based on this, the port commissioners had no choice but to first vote for a tax increase in order to force a public vote. Well….

I will note that in the first quote above, no RCW was provided, while an RCW was provided in the second quote.

Here is the RCW as it pertains to ports:

apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=53.08

Not sure where the prohibition on placing tax increases or bond sales on the ballot is, but Wolfe is an attorney, and formerly the city attorney for the cities of Battleground and Ridgefield. I would guess he must be correct. ?

Hawkeye, I'm having significant computer problems. It seems that any post I submit with a link...is rejected.

If you care to go back, I submitted a post on the port commissioners several moths ago. It starts like this:

> The port commissioners unanimously approved a tax increase to pay for the purchase of the old Alcoa site and other properties. Apparently, the port has the legal right to impose tax increases without a public vote. Unlike public school districts and libraries.

With the exceptions of using government to push radical right wing economic/social policy, (i.e. anti-abortion, anti-contraception, pro-corporate welfare laws).

We need to understand the big picture when we vote. The philosophical gap is wide and can translate into destructive policies that never get reversed, (i.e. Bush tax cuts, Bush preemptive strike policy, Bush Patriot Act) and lifetime appointed SCROTUS. Pay attention as to how our elected WA politico's will represent us in DC & State level. Some good Dems were voted out in 2010 with the blurring the lines throw them all out approach to voting.

If everyone would like, when the time comes, I'll compose a list as to how you all should vote in the up & coming elections! :))

It's like what BillyOrighty tells his viewers. Bill tells you what to think about current events so you don't have to think for yourself. It's the...Right way to think. Or not. I think but not.

Is the port self sufficient? Why is a portion of taxes dedicated to the port, if the port is self sufficient? After a hundred years or something, why does the port need to increase taxes to buy new property or build new infrastructure?

We need to understand the big picture when we vote. The philosophical gap is wide and can translate into destructive policies that never get reversed like.Democrats claiming repubilcans of Violence, racism and sedition. or How about the Democratic controlled media so you get the story they want to tell or print, or how about the Jobless and unemployment claims??Taking "Hundreds of Thousands" off the rolls for counting of the unemployed..Or wanting to turn our country into a Socialistic state so we can go down the drain like the European countries are...Or about a Health care plan that will saddle the middle class and above as well as our children to pay for a plan that is more expensive to Administer than to provide the health care to individuals and family's...Oh and all the contributing Liberal left wing folks that give us the Strait Poop:) These folks tell it like the way they want it to be...So you don't have to think for yourself they already did it for ya....Paul Begala Hilary Rosen Jamal Simmons Marjorie Clifton Penny Lee Maria Cardona Alicia Menendez James Carville Stephanie Cutter Robert Zimmerman Roland S. Martin Donna Brazile Lanny Davis Oh yeah that Carville shull head, he's a winner..No he isn't he's a "whinner" ...Last but not least are most of Americans better of with "HOPE AND CHANGE" than they were in 2008?? Just a question... Are we heading in the right direction?? Just a question....Are small businesses getting thos loans they promissed us after they bailed out the banks... Those are just a few things to ponder this very rainy day in the couv.....I think not "BUTT"

Give it up Vanwa. The collectivist is all about the unfairness of it all. It’s all based on one’s feelings.

You will note, there is always some little socialogy study, of some sort, referred to by some Leftist, so as to prove their point over the failures of personal liberty. But then the abysmal record of the socialist states of the 20th century are conveniently ignored. As is the impending implosion of the European socialsit states, which is all of them. See…some little study by a Leftist professor is important. Yet, there can be no bigger test tube than the events of the 20th century. And now the 21st century.

Even the economic powerhouse of Germany, is showing signs of big troubles. Then there’s Italy, France, Greece and Spain (oh there’s a real cool one: Spain’s unemployment rate is 24%. Where’s that Red Brigade when you really need them? )

The troubles these folks are having, has nothing to do with bloated military spending, They’ve built a welfare state that cannot be sustained, and they can’t pay the piper now.

Ironically, The collectivists bemoan the politicians, which we see every day on this little sandbox forum, but then: they vote for more government, and ridicule those who don’t.

Taking "Hundreds of Thousands" off the rolls for counting of the unemployed..

I didn't realize the government changed methods of calculating the unemployment rate depending on which party controlled Congress or the White House. To be sure the number is a joke, sanitized as not to indicate how bad unemployment really is.

Or wanting to turn our country into a Socialistic state so we can go down the drain like the European countries are.

not sure what this one's about, but I'll take a shot anyway. A few things. When cities around the world are scored for "livability" European cities fill the list. The US seldom places a city in the top 20 from what I've seen. The current problems in Europe come from austerity measures being implemented and cutting off massive amounts of government spending. So the safety nets, pensions, etc are being drastically reduced, crimping consumer spending. Ensuing layoffs, reduced tax revenues, and soft consumer spending has Europe in a downward spiral that the current policies can't stop. On the local front, government spending dropped dramatically and economic growth in the US, anemic at best, dropped about 30% in Q1. If the baggers want to cut, cut, cut their way to prosperity, look at Europe-it's a failed policy. If providing all citizens access to higher education, medical care, and good pensions is a bad thing, I missed the memo. If not having the above, but more aircraft carriers than the rest of the world is good, I must've missed that memo also.

...Last but not least are most of Americans better of with "HOPE AND CHANGE" than they were in 2008??

The average household saw a meager $80 in additional earnings last year. The top 1% saw 11% income growth. The top 1% of the 1% saw even greater income growth. So this one depends on who you are. The rich got richer and the rest didn't. Now that the top 1% accounts for over 50% of consumer spending, the 99% is well on it's way to being economically marginalized. This inequitable situation can't go on forever, for the results would be a disaster for most folks. So no, most of us are not better off than 4 years ago. My business is about 50% of what it was 5 years ago. I don't feel that political persuasion is the root of that problem, rather a systemic one, as the dollar rules, not the ballot box.

Are small businesses getting thos loans they promissed us after they bailed out the banks...

Other small business owners I know are not having trouble getting credit. But lenders are very wary now and they're treating that money like it is theirs. A solid track record, nothing out 90 days in the aging report, and a minimum debt/receivables ratio and the money is available.

vanwa- You read like a poorly edited Hannity show! At least you help keep this forum alive. Dead as hell in here.

Anyone check out the weird post from Madore in the "How did the local Republicans screw up this time" section? I'm glad Lou B picked up on it as many were missing it or not saying anything. Somebody better check on the dude. He's advocating for socialistic intrusive cost the taxpayers $$$ local big government hold your hand cradle to tax time initiatives. Because his buddy got caught sleeping. WOW!!!

Man. You know it's bad when the creator of "RyanCare" speaks out against it on Capital Hill. Still, some anti-government self informed folk will still push for it.

WASHINGTON -- The co-creator of the concept that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is relying upon to reform Medicare no longer thinks it will work. Henry Aaron, now of the Brookings Institution, got the chance to tell Ryan exactly why at a recent Capitol Hill hearing.

WASHINGTON -- A top Republican lobbying shop lost major business over the past few years because clients thought "Obama was going to be dictator," and only firms closely aligned with the administration would have access, Ed Rogers, the head of BGR Group, said in a deposition taken in January.

Excuse me, all. I absolutely have to ask if anyone is following the fantastic arguments on the FB side about Tom Mielke's once-again delinquent property taxes.

Of particular note is David Madore's defending of him, blaming the county and Lou B's stirring of the hornet's nest (with some good questions, I might add). And then, we cannot forget Miss Josephine....Ya can't make this stuff up.

Madore and Mielke. Has a kind of ring to it.

So does Frick and Frack. Beavis and Butthead.

Thank you, Lou, for asking the questions I wish I could. This is gonna be good........I can't wait for more.

Unfortunately, what happened in the Mielke tax article is what's going on with all electoral discussions. We're going to focus on the person and not the issues.

The comments switched very quickly to David Madore. That conversation has been ugly for weeks - all he has to do is show up in a post, and Greg Owens, Mike Briggs and others are on the attack. And then Josephine rolls her sleeves up and does the dirty work for the Madore camp. Most of the usual players in that ongoing fight could be considered guilty of slinging muck - there were no victims in that squabble.

Almost completely ignored was a comment by the County Auditor - Peter Van Nortwick (sp?) - that makes it sound as if this was no big deal.

As a side note - the conservative side (Repubs and others) has been vocal with The Columbian postings for quite some time. Jim Moeller has been one of the few liberal (Dem) voices. All of a sudden, within the past 2-3 weeks, the latter have been present in droves. Perhaps this was one of the strategies discussed at the recent caucus meetings?

back to the misleading unemployment rate, about 50,000 less jobs were created in April that predicted, but the unemployments rate dropped .1% as 350,000 people gave up and are considered out of the job market. If this econmomy continues to sideline 4 million workers per year, look out.

If Obama is made to be the fall guy for this, and you can bet the Romney camp will do everything possible to make sure Obama does take the fall, he'd better look out this November. People tend to vote their wallets. I think he has sizeable leads among women, hispanics, and blacks, but if I remember correctly, he didn't get the majority of white male voters last time (maybe all white voters, don't remember that for sure either) so who knows. And if that general mood applies to senate races, could be another major reversal.

What gets overlooked in this numbers count is types of jobs created. There was something in The Columbian a week or so ago discussing this issue locally. A point made was that many of the jobs "created" were temporary ones - employers are using temp hire agencies to avoid having to pay health care. And we already know that employers will hire part time workers for the same reason.

Both parties will have a problem addressing this in the upcoming election - they can point fingers and talk how policy affects businesses, how refusing to OK projects like Keystone XL or the CRC keeps jobs from being created, etc. But at the end of the day, both sides will avoid getting to any sort of real discussions about why real PERMANENT jobs aren't here anymore - because we've allowed corporations to move operations overseas.

“Certain precincts in this county are not going to vote for Obama,” said John Corrigan, clerk of courts for Jefferson County, who was drinking coffee in a furniture shop downtown one morning last week with a small group of friends, retired judges and civil servants. “I don’t want to say it, but we all know why.”

“He was like, ‘Here I am, I’m black and I’m proud,’ ” said Lesia Felsoci, a bank employee drinking a beer in an Applebee’s. “To me, he didn’t have a platform. Black people voted him in, that’s why he won. It was black ignorance.”

Louis Tripodi, a baker in Steubenville who voted for Mr. Obama, blames talk radio and Republican rhetoric for encouraging such attitudes. “ ‘He’s a Muslim, he’s a socialist, he’s not born in this country,’ ” he said. “It’s got a lot to do with race.”

Since the 1930s, the American government has offered preferential treatment to American producers in the awarding of federal contracts. If a domestic producer offers the government a more expensive bid than a foreign producer, it can still be awarded the contract under certain circumstances, but more recent free trade agreements have granted other nations the same negotiating status as domestic firms. The Obama administration is currently pushing to grant the several nations involved in the Trans-Pacific deal the same privileged status, according to the Thursday letter.

"We do not believe this approach is in the best interests of U.S. manufacturers and U.S. workers," the letter reads. "Of special concern is the prospect that firms established in TPP countries, such as the many Chinese firms in Vietnam, could obtain waivers from Buy American policies. This could result in large sums of U.S. tax dollars being invested to strengthen other countries' manufacturing sectors, rather than our own."

French and Greek voters go to the polls this weekend. May be a game changer.

In France, Sarkozy is projected to lose to Socialist Party candidate Hollande. Hollande wants more government spending and less austerity measures. It may well change the relationship with Germany, and their approach to Greece and others.

In Greece, parlimentary elections are looking to shake things up. From what I’ve read,The Golden Dawn Party, some sort of neo-Nazis and the Communist Party, may get at least 5% of the vote each.

The markets are down in the U.S. and Europe, which may have more to do with the elections, than with the bad employment report this morning. I’m guessing the situation in Europe is going to get worse before it gets better. Could end up have a negative impact on this country.

roger-that's so true and equally important. From things I've read, from articles based on projected tax revenues, etc, it also appears the jobs being created are paying less, actually much less, than the jobs they're replacing. It's not uncommon for employers to use tough business conditions to lower employee's compensation packages, in fact, it's almost routine. The difference I've seen demonstrated is this depression is the difference in the two. It's much greater now than historically has been the case, as the depression is much deeper and longer. Also the sectors suffering most include construction and manufacturing, which traditionally paid well, aren't coming back in any significant numbers. Workers over 50, typically at the peak of their income years, are simply not being hired. While age discrimination is illegal, it's pretty much accepted and is the new norm. All in all, this doesn't bode well for a country that had 70% of it's GDP derived from consumer spending.

With 50% now below federal poverty levels and a full 1/3 of the "middle class" now below the same level, the handwriting is on the wall.

So our "low price leader" Spirit Airlines is boosting their CARRY-ON prices to $100 a bag if it goes in the overhead. That's each way. I guess that changes their moniker a little. Seems like Southwest is looking better all the time.

the one I'm most familiar-family- with typically borrows 100K to 150K short term-not sure the term, could be a line of credit-when he has to get material in when awarded a contract. the debt is retired (in parts) as the finished material is paid for by the customer. Last year, his gross exceeded one million-pretty sure, but I think it was less than two. He has been in business approx 10 yrs. Maybe he's "golden in his banks eyes, don't know.

I'm not sure if you're implying that if a business still has same loan after five years or if it has any loan after five years, but for a business to have to carry a loan for 5 years in my opinion, would make them a risk from the start. Any small business that isn't turning a profit after 5 years isn't doing something right or started with too much debt in the first place. I started mine before I left my last employer so I had customers from day one, and had less than $10,000 in debt, which was gone in a couple of months. I have no employees, but do sub out work if necessary. So basically every invoice is a paycheck, with only taxes to pay. All equipment, computers, overhead, and supplies are paid for up front. I take that 1/2 to 1 1/2% if paid within 10 days whenever offered.

vanwa-I was critiquing the content of your message rather than spell check. You seem to blur the lines between policy & perception.

Policies of Mass Perception.

Please tell me vanwa, what policy initiatives has Romney endorsed that you think would achieve better results then current policy. What has he spoken of (or the Republican party for that matter), in the way of foreign policy/economic policy/domestic policy that has captured your heart in such a strong way.

Even the creator of the Ryan plan says it's doomed to fail. Romney embraces it. What will it take for some of you to get real? Some are anti-government collectivist culture warrior conservatives who rally around tax payer funded corporate welfare and government hand outs to the wealthy. Those people are lost.

Some are religious zealots who define their lives with their own judgement of how their deity perceives them. Those people are lost.

Some believe our government should function as a democracy who puts the will of "we the people" before self interests as our forefathers would have wanted. Well, most of them. These people are always found.

"We should be seeing numbers in the 500,000 jobs created per month," Romney told Fox News. "This is way, way, way off from what should happen in a normal recovery. … This is not progress. This is very, very disappointing."

*Soooo Mitt, if elected, do you guarantee 4% and 500K a month new jobs? How you going to do that, hire them all yourself or give them all government jobs.*

It'll go on as long as possible - Editor Lou indicates in one of his posts that he considers this newsworthy and something that's garnering a lot of public participation.

As soon as Madore posted defending Mielke, a large part of the commenting shifted to attacking him. Which means Josephine Wentzel joined the brawl to defend Madore. Matt initially tried to get people back on track, but once Editor Lou weighed in and continued the Madore side of the discussion, it seems Matt gave up.

But I have noticed - again - that Matt has his favorites that he'll single out to chastise, while he ignores equally nasty remarks from others.

Personally, this barely borders on "so what" - as long as Mielke pays, to include penalties. Meanwhile, the fact that Jim Moeller insisted it was proper to claim his $90.00 daily per diem for the extended legislative session, even though he wasn't involved, went virtually unnoticed.

hawkeye, Lou described the thought process in a comment on the story. This might have been buried, so I'll repost here:

"Just FYI all. It's pretty standard operating procedure to move a story back onto our homepage when it receives lots of comments. Anyone is welcome to suggest that move but it's usually an editor. Makes no difference who it's about (or what party one might be connected to) but, again, are people interested in commenting on it.

This isn't an exact science (making this decision) but it's all about giving folks a voice. And, yes, that includes, those who want a voice to complain about us. And as you can see here, there are plenty of folks who have taken the time to complain about us rather than sticking to the topic. :-)"

[Click here for the comment in question][1].

Roger, I'm trying to keep things on track. Madore raised some points about how the country reminds property owners when tax bills are coming due, and I didn't feel that thread was off-topic. Just my opinion, though.

And I'm curious to know who you think my favorites are; even I don't know who those might be. Well, other than the basement-dwellers, of course. :-) But just because I'm not admonishing someone publicly doesn't mean I'm not sending them a private message or removing other remarks. If several people are going off-topic or violating guidelines, then I'll post something publicly. I'm not perfect about it, but that's the goal.

*Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler will have a big name in attendance at her campaign kickoff event on May 25: U.S. Speaker of the House John Boehner.

Event participants can pay $1,000 to Herrera Beutler's campaign to attend a photo reception with Boehner at 11:30 a.m., and $50 to attend a lunch at noon. The event will take place at the Red Lion Hotel Vancouver at the Quay.*

Nice to have our republican leaders offer us this wonderful opportunity to meet Jaime and the great John Boehner. Only an extra $950.00 to get a pic with them! COOL!

You can bet that newly found liberal whose calling for bigger government Madore will be there.

I can see it now, a full size cutout of David, Jamie and Bayner right next to his full size cutout of GWB. Who could ask for anything more than that. All it would take would be to add Josephine into the mix and I'd no longer have the need for syrup of ipecac.

It appears that if we have loo-rail over here that it won't alleviate any traffic. It won't 'pencil out'. I pass thousands of cars every day and they will not change their driving habits. They still travel individually and sit for hours just to drive themselves to and from work. I think that these drivers can't take a bus or drive to a park and ride lot because it isn't convenient.

If I was to take public transportation I would spend 3 to 4 hours a day waiting for service. That's 2 to 3 hours I wouldn't have for my family. I also did the costs on this. I pay $4.00+ or - a gallon for fuel. I get over 22 MPG. I drive 16 miles a day one way. I am, as well as a lot of us, willing to pay a little more if it cuts my travel time down so dramatically.

Note to C-Tran: Quit trying to force something down our throats that won't work. I see your buses in the morning and for the most part they are not full at all. The ones I see are going express and don't make any stops before downtown P-Town. Why not have Tri-Met provide buses over here to help get people where they need to go? Let them make milk runs to areas that have more workers than just downtown?

I have tried to use park and ride. Got broke into and that stopped that. If you have out of state plates you are more than likely to get hit. That's just an observation not based on facts.

Hey Matt, it's time to move the CRC and all things related forum up. Judging by the amount of comments on the C-Tran article I see only one or two for keeping on track, so to speak, Loo-Rail and taxing the beejesus out of us. All the rest seem to dislike it.

Do you guys count sub-comments or only the main ones? I count 41 with sub-comments.

It seems we blue-eyed types are all inbred; we have a common ancestor from about 6000 - 10,000 years ago. The blue-eyed person was a mutant; everyone else had brown eyes. This leads me to two trains of thought ---

This ties in neatly to timelines for the Garden of Eden. (OK, I may be fudging a little there.) So, was our blue eyed ancestor Eve, who enticed poor Adam to break the rules? Or was it Adam, who showed a lack of moral fortitude and fell for Eve's wiles when he knew better? OR, perhaps The Snake (Satan) was Ol' Blue Eyes?

This blue-eyed ancestor must have been considered a god and worshiped by his (her?) brown-eyed relatives. How else can one explain why they didn't follow the more common practice back then for physical deformities - being put on the garbage heap for the dogs to deal with? Further, this common person is thought to have been born in the area of the current Ukraine, and blue has since become the dominant color in the region. An obvious inference that can be made is that blue was considered superior and most desirable.

Romney will tell you as any good Mormon would, the Garden of Eden currently exists downward of Mizzou, which throws the timeline off a bit. Why a taxpayer funded expedition hasn't been formed is beyond me. Those guys could use some...good news!

Lou B: If you are attending the popular Oregon State Bar confabs hosted by Press Broadcasters Council, I know you will be discouraged from writing about it. It is like a well-run group therapy session: what is said in group stays in group. However, the fact that you are attending speaks volumes to me. I wish the WA State Bar offered similar opportunities.

Maine GOP convention "taken over" by Ron Paul supporters. What is funny is that even the most Romney friendly sources considered the caucuses a virtual tie, but when Ron Paul delegates are elected as chairman and secretary of the convention it is considered "taking over".

frobert: I will echo what nailingit said. While I do not agree with all of Ron Paul's platforms, I absolutely support his right to be heard and supported by whichever voters approve.

Let the Republican voters make their own choices. Marginalizing a popular candidate because he is not annointed by the machine will backfire on the party. Their political skullduggery against Paul will make him stronger. I guarantee.

I would say this if the Dems were doing the same thing.

I will add another cheer for Paul because his tenacity makes this process more honest and pulls back the curtain on the wizard.

If you have one candidate that supports less war and more liberty what is there to think about? Now Romney vs Obama, both support undeclared wars and less liberty for the citizens, that is a hard choice.

fro- *If you have one candidate that supports less war and more liberty what is there to think about?*

The consequences resulting from destroying the Department of Education, Department of Health & Human Services, FEMA, rolling back Roe v Wade and civil rights...just to name a few. Ron Paul would escalate the current corporate takeover of America into a plutocracy before our time.

I saw Hunger Games today. I thought Donald Sutherland played a great Ron Paul.

manthou- *I really do not see how this switch as resulted in more civility. I really don't.*

Neither do I manthou. I wonder what the FB comments would be like if they turned them lose to discuss any topic they wanted much like we do.

*Has education in this country improved since the formation of the department of education?*

Yes.

*Has FEMA improved our disaster response over the old National Guard system?*

Yes.

*Paul's only statement on the Civil Rights Act is that it should be binding on the Government, but the government cannot control private individuals thoughts.*

Incorrect. I wonder if he's still writing newsletters? Maybe he ran out of black ink.

*Rep. Ron Paul kicked off his third run for president on Friday, but not without inciting controversy. Shortly after calling for abolishing FEMA on CNN, the latest Republican presidential candidate told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews that he would not have voted for the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the landmark piece of legislation that outlawed major forms of discrimination against blacks and women.Staying true to his brand of extreme libertarianism, Paul said he objected to the Civil Rights Act because of its infringement on private property rights. He said that while he would favor repealing Jim Crow laws, the United States “would be better off” without government intruding on and policing personal lives.*

A lot of discussion on The Columbian with a couple of articles about rising college tuitions and the long-term impact of taking out student loans.

One of the things that gets me is the number of people who say they did it, and today's kids should be able to handle the burden too.

Some numbers.

$1 in 1971 is $5.67 today; an increase of 567%.

Minimum wage in '71 was $1.60 and today in WA $9.04; an increase of 565%.

My yearly cost at a PA state college was approx $2500.00 for everything. Today, at WA State's cheapest 4 year school (EWU) that total cost is about $16450.00; an increase of 658%. If CWU is used, the total cost runs about $20,725.00; an increase of 829%.

On the surface, EWU looks a bit steeper (percentage-wise), but not outrageously so. Beyond that school, though, prices skyrocketed. (But it would have cost me more to go to Penn State, and even more for Pitt, so....) One could reduce the cost further by living at home and going to Clark for 2 years (about $7120.00 per year) and finishing at WSU-Vanc (about $10,000.00 per year).

But there's a major difference. In 1971 I had no problem finding a full-time daytime summer job, a part time evening summer job, and a part time job during the school year. I could pay my own way, with enough left for smokes, beer, and frat dues. Given today's employment market, I doubt this would be possible to duplicate - kids are lucky to find part-time jobs. And they'd still have to find additional funding to make up for that comparative increase.

"Judging by the amount of comments on the C-Tran article I see only one or two for keeping on track, so to speak, Loo-Rail and taxing the beejesus out of us. All the rest seem to dislike it." -- JohnCasey — May 5, 2012 at 7:05 a.m.

John, as information gets out, people are starting to pay more attention to what's going on. The CRC's latest gaffe was telling the world the Corps Of Engineers could move their dredging barges under a 95 foot bridge, only to have the CofE to say it won't work. This, on top of their ignoring that the USCG told them in 2006 that 95 foot won't work, has gotten the attention of a few of the crowd in D.C.

And it's looking like Mayor Tim's "We don't need a vote" on the light rail O&M; funding is backfiring - C-Tran is saying it can't be done without a sales tax. And seeing as how the majority (6 of 9) of the C-Tran Board says there will be a sales tax vote - it sure looks like we'll have a say after all.

IF the sales tax goes down (not a sure thing), will Vancouver City Council try to go it alone? Supposedly, the Fed New Starts won't free up their $800 million until the annual O&M; costs are covered.

Furthermore, the citizens of Vancouver need to understand the total cost picture associated with this project. That $2.5 million per year O&M; payment to Tri-Met is just a starter; it'll climb, and probably very quickly.

Where's the money coming from for the upgrades Vancouver City Council wants added to the standard parking garage the Feds will pay for? And, seeing as how parking is to be free for C-Tran/Tri-Met customers, how will security, maintenance, and other garage operations be paid for?

This blankety blank CAPTCHA has gone beyond being STUPID - it's a form of harassment. Their latest little trick is telling me I'm wrong - go back to Start - when I know damned well I got it right. And that's after I refresh several times to get something even remotely readable.

Kindly explain once again why we have the program here. Wasn't the reason something to do with blocking spammers? Who (or what) were you talking about? Look, I seriously doubt anyone here is going to fall for the Nigerian prince or the nephew needing bail. (But there are a few on the facebook side who probably need this protection - a certain Civic Activist comes to mind.)

To borrow a saying of John Laird's - We Don't Need No Stinkin' CAPTCHA!

WE do not have to pay for light rail. It doesn't belong to us and if the Metro Morons (the owners of MAX) want to run it over to this side of the big ditch, they need to come up with funds to do that. Especially since THEY will be the ones keeping the profits (if there are any). The only thing "we" should have to pay for is the fare to ride the stupid thing if wanted.

**Catholic Abuse Scandals Continues To Take Toll On US Church, $144 Million In Settlements And Other Costs**

This year's report was released while church officials faced new scrutiny about their compliance with the plan. In Philadelphia, a trial is under way against the first Catholic official in the U.S. charged with endangering children by keeping accused priests in ministry without warning parents or police. In Missouri, Bishop Robert Finn of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph has been charged with misdemeanor failure to report suspected child abuse in the case of a priest whose computer had hundreds of suspicious photos of young children.

In the national report, auditors warned of "growing complacency" about child protection.

Abdulrahman al-Awlaki was not the target; like the term or not, he was collateral damage. He was in the company of the actual target, al-Qaeda leader Ibrahim al-Banna, who reportedly was also killed.

Put in the overall context of this "war" with Islamic fundamentalists, this is barely newsworthy. Nearly all of the casualties of the suicide bombers, for example, are collateral damage - innocent victims in the wrong place at the wrong time. The same can be said of many of the Palestinian and Israeli victims in their ongoing conflict.

As with most wars, there are no perfect solutions. During WWII, we joined with the RAF and leveled Dresden, killing countless thousands of Germans. (Our reported target was the rail industrial center, which was nowhere near the city center that we bombed, by the way.) And then Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where perhaps 200,000 mostly civilians died within a couple of months, and who knows how many since then.

There's a point here - if these squabbles have to be settled by killing people, I'd just as soon it be the other guys. And the administrations of Pres Bush and Pres Obama have been pretty successful in meeting this expectation since 9/11.

If we targeted a backyard barbecue in a country that we are not at war with and killed children, our leaders are war criminals. Even if it was in a country that we were at war with, to target a civilian gathering to assassinate one suspect is unconscionable and criminal.

The whole Planned Parenthood funding issue, in AZ, TX and elsewhere, does in fact need to be seen within the overall context of funding abortions.

Federal and some state laws ban using taxpayer funding to pay for abortions.

Planned Parenthood offers a wide range of very important services that combat unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, etc. Unfortunately (depending on your perspective) they do consider abortion a viable alternative, and will help pay for them - using dollars taken in from donations.

The thought process of Brewer (and many others) is that if we maintain higher levels of funding, then Planned Parenthood has more donation money to spend on abortion. Consequently, taxpayer dollars are indirectly being used to pay for abortion. However, if we reduce the taxpayer funding, Planned Parenthood will have to shift donation dollars to cover the other services; this will leave less to spend on abortion.

What people here in the Liberal Northwest fail to understand or accept is that AZ, and other Southern/Southwest states, are quite Conservative. People like Jan Brewer and Joey Arpaio get elected because they reflect the beliefs of the majority - not those of the Liberal enclaves of East Phoenix/Tempe and Tucson.

Not to be forgotten, the Tokyo firebombing. The indiscriminate killing of hundreds of thousands of women & children in the dark of night. Cowardly and senseless. The biggest one night of Death during the war.

roger- *What people here in the Liberal Northwest fail to understand or accept is that AZ, and other Southern/Southwest states, are quite Conservative.*

Nope. We understand it quite well.

What is hard to understand is how good thinking people equate abortion and women's healthcare into one lump and curse and defund it all.

It's also hard to understand any justification for enacting laws against the will and majority of people politicians were elected to serve. Not just a minority of bagger conservatives who fund campaigns.

So, Pres Truman was a war criminal for giving the order to drop the bombs on Japan - correct? Even though this was decided as desirable when compared to the projected 1 million Allied soldier casualties that invading Japan (which refused to surrender) would cost us?

Truman's reasoning is the same - just a much larger scale - as applied by Pres Obama. Kill the bad guys on their own soil; that way, we don't have to kill them here while they're engaged in killing US citizens.

The BBQ you keep harping on comes from a later report from his grandfather (per The Washington Post). It seems Abdulrahman and other local youths gathered for a nighttime cookout. Per Yemeni gov't reports, the strike occurred near the town of Azzan, an Islamist stronghold. The Defense Ministry in Yemen described Ibrahim al-Banna (the target) as one of the “most dangerous operatives” in al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Azzan is a few hundred miles to the east of the city of Sana'a, which is where Abdulrahman lived with his family.

Further, this was after he'd returned home to Sana'a on learning of his father's death. Sorry, but this tells me that our young 16 year old kept some pretty bad company through his own choices - he had no reason to be in Azzan otherwise.

These people were elected by the majority - one would presume they voted for the ones they thought most closely mirrored their own beliefs.

And I already explained the logic behind why they've chosen to defund Planned Parenthood. I'm not saying you have to accept their belief that this is an appropriate step to take.

You've previously made it clear you believe abortion is a woman's prerogative; one that should be allowed on demand for whatever the reasoning behind this personal decision. OK - that's a belief shared by many. However, many others hold the belief that abortion is murder; it should only be resorted to in very limited circumstances. And they'll be damned if they'll pay for one - directly or indirectly.

Me? Sorry, but I don't have a real opinion, other than that I'd rather not pay for someone else's poor decisions.

Perhaps the real fix is for Planned Parenthood to drop the abortion planning/funding part of their services - instead, allow other groups to handle this, and refer their clients who express a desire for this to them. That way, the major reason behind supporting their other very valuable services is removed.

*These people were elected by the majority - one would presume they voted for the ones they thought most closely mirrored their own beliefs.*

Brewer ran on the defunding of Planned Parenthood?

*You've previously made it clear you believe abortion is a woman's prerogative; one that should be allowed on demand for **whatever the reasoning** behind this personal decision.*

You are incorrect. Perceived legal/"reasoning" abuses should be addressed. This "perception" should not take place at the state level.

*..it should only be resorted to in very limited circumstances.*

Rape? Incest? Life of the Mother? Unprepared? Chooses not to? Lemon from Lemonade? Is there a good reason to have an abortion with a Republican conservative mindset?

Perhaps states should mandate vasectomy's to curb abortion? :))) Oh, that affects men.

*Perhaps the real fix is for Planned Parenthood to drop the abortion planning/funding part of their services - instead, allow other groups to handle this, and refer their clients who express a desire for this to them. That way, the major reason behind supporting their other very valuable services is removed.*

Yes roger. Let's let the Bachman's, the Santorum's, the Perry's dictate what the guidelines are.........next thing they will want to limit American's freedoms based on their sexual preference......oh yeah......by and large right wing conservative zealots are the the only ones waging this campaign against reproductive rights.

In case anyone has forgotten, Roe v Wade was a landmark decision that still stands.

Anyone of the female gender care to weigh in? I'm always taken back when few speak up about this. Right middle or left.

The actual winner was Paul. Maine uses a caucus system, the projected "winner" on the day of the caucus is not the winner.

frobert — May 6, 2012 at 10:46 a.m

I guess it all depends on who controls the caucus, doesn't it? Sounds to me like Paul supporters ***STOLE*** (literally) another one. Of course it really doesn't matter because in the bigger scheme of things, Romney will be the Republican't winner.

Have you ever participated in the caucus system? If Paul delegates outnumber Romney delegates, Paul wins. No theft is possible. The chairman of the Maine GOP attempted to "steal" the convention by appointing a Romney supporter as chairman of the convention. The delegates refused to accept the blatant violation of rules and elected their own chairman in compliance with convention rules.

I consider defunding PP in AZ a direct assault on women's rights. This is -as they admit- geared to stop abortions. Federal dollars were not and are not used to pay for abortions at PP. This also stops women (and men) from getting low-cost health care. It is very difficult to receive abortion services other than at PP. Defunding PP and thereby conceivably closing them hurts a number of people.Last I looked, Roe vs. Wade IS the law in this country. What we are watching here is the increased assault to circumvent this law, be it by declaring a woman could be pregnant before she is pregnant (now that was a really stupid idea), from declaring conception (known here as the actual sex act) as the start of life, etc etc.

What it boils down to, to summarize my ramblings, is that I personally see it as a war on women. The argument that my tax dollars should not go to PP as they also provide abortion, also does not wash. I want all my tax dollars back as I definitely was and am against that war in Iraq.

All this goes nicely with the candidate on right not sure what the Lily Leadbetter ruling is or that there is any question left of defunding the Violence against Women act. or the argument of birth control being covered by insurance or not.

But nooooo- there is no war against women. Right.

Pardon me, that is all my opinion. I am sure other females have a different opinion.I still say we outlaw Viagra! Let's see how that goes over.

nailingit@ 10:20: I have loads to say about the attack on women's self-determination, which is why I re-confirmed my involvement in the Dem party with my time and money. I am doing it where it counts the most right now.

Remember our battle cry: If we wanted a Republican in our sex life, we would seduce one!

I talked with a friend from Indiana this morning. Senator Richard Lugar is facing a tough race against a far right wing regressive and is currently 10 points behind.

She said that she is joining many Democrats this week in changing party affiliation to support Lugar in the primaries against this challenger.

A moderate Republican who has a history of working with the Dems is worth keeping.

How about Kansas? We need to wake up as a people and stop this discrimination and government intrusion. Local state politico sleezebags will decide if my daughters, my friends, society as a whole have a certain number of children? Sounds a bit like China in reverse.

luvit- Well said. Your comments are much appreciated and convey the views of most Americans.

manthou- Thanks for your activism

*Remember our battle cry: If we wanted a Republican in our sex life, we would seduce one!*

Nobody declared war on Yemen. Pres Bush declared war on al Qaeda specifically, and other international terrorists and those who harbor them. Pres Obama repeated this on Jan 8 2010 - "We are at war with al Qaeda."

As noted, there's an Islamist stronghold near Azzan (where the strike occurred). They (al Banna and his al Qaeda friends) train their recruits there. That made them a target.

Further, the strikes being conducted in Yemen are in fact authorized - by their President and the Chief of Staff of their army. Per the Yemen Post, 3 or 4 strikes per day are being conducted.

A better argument might be made against strikes on al Qaeda in Pakistan, and the operation that took bin Laden out; these were possibly done without Pakistani approval. Too bad.

An organization called al Qaeda declared a jihad (war) on the US in 1993 when they funded the first strike on the WTC. In 1998 they attacked our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing several people. In 2000 they hit the USS Cole. And we all know what happened on Sep 11 2001.

We, the US, are committed to tracking down this organization and eradicating them from the face of the earth. We'll work with governments (e.g., Yemen's) in this effort; it's to our advantage to have them strong enough to run al Qaeda out of their countries. But if a sovereign nation allows al Qaeda to operate within their borders (Afghanistan's Taliban gov't for example), then prepare to pay the consequence.

You need to read article 51 of the Geneva convention. The attack on the civilian barbecue as well as the attack on the unarmed convoy were war crimes. Terrorism is a tactic and a crime, these criminals need to be dealt with severely, assassination and civilian casualties are never acceptable when dealing with crime.

To repeat my post from two hours ago - "Me? Sorry, but I don't have a real opinion, other than that I'd rather not pay for someone else's poor decisions."

I've also said before we need to can this abomination called Affordable Health Care (or whatever the title of what neoCons like to call ObamaCare is) and institute a national health care - possibly Medicare for all, seeing as how that organizational infrastructure already exists. I have no problem supporting something that helps take care of those less fortunate than we who are carrying on this discussion.

But there has to be limits, which is actually the argument here. Pro Choice people believe if someone can't afford to pay for their own abortion, then we (the state) should pay for them. No matter what the reason the woman is getting the abortion. The hard core Lifers want this choice restricted. But there's a very large group in the middle that says we shouldn't be helping pay, except for a few instances. Which is why the Federal restriction exists.

Have you ever participated in the caucus system? If Paul delegates outnumber Romney delegates, Paul wins.

frobert — May 6, 2012 at 11:03 a.m.

That's exactly why I think the "caucus" is a joke and should be changed to an actual vote of the people. Too much sideways crap going on, like "not enough room in the building" for everyone but enough for Paul supporters.

Roger,well stated and reasoned as always. And naturally you are fully entitled to your opinion.

In the end, this is not about paying for something. It is - again, my opinion-restricting access to birth control, while at the same time trying to get rid of abortions. Throw into the mix that Viagra sales are at an all time high - and for this female here, ME, and nobody else, only my thoughts, it smells of good olde medieval times.

Strongly worded? Yes, maybe. But this all smacks to me of controlling women once more, making sure they are barefoot and preggers in kitchen, serving the meal to that strong, now virile, viagra driven male. Throw out equal pay while we are at it (Leadbetter) and forget about violence against women, voila.

Again - my opinion, strongly worded, but I am putting all the facts as presented to me together and this is the conclusion I come up. Sorry, nope, the good old times are over. The 51% of the US pop that are female, are done. I got an 18 year old daughter, and by golly, this is not going over well with her, I can tell you all that one.

If you all think I am getting heated, you are correct. This is one topic that can get me going all day - LOL.

The US has never ratified Protocol 1, which added civilian population protections to the POW protections set forth in the original Article 51.

However, for the sake of the argument that it's been recognized as international law, whether we've ratified or not, I gather you're referring to the following --

5. Among others, the following types of attacks are to be considered as indiscriminate:(b) an attack which may be expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, damage to civilian objects, or a combination thereof, which would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated.

If the attendees at this little cookout were all truly innocent people, I would agree with you. But they weren't. They were at an "Islamist stronghold" near a dinky little town called Azzan - in other words, they were connected to an training camp operated by Ibrahim al Banna and his al Qaeda cohorts. The attack took out al Banna, who was considered an important target. Which means he was at the cookout!! Whether a 16 and a 17 year old youth could be considered innocent, and therefore "incidental loss of civilian life" is open to conjecture. Young Abdulrahman al-Awlaki went there voluntarily; he belonged at his family's home in Sana'a a few hundred miles to the west. Once again - he CHOSE to associate with some bad people, and he paid the ultimate penalty.

Ron Paul has taken 3 more delegates in Maine, from the first congressional district. The second congressional district hasn't voted yet, but it does include Waldo, Hancock and Washington Counties, these are the counties that the GOP excluded from the original count because of heave Paul support.

I fully agree with your position when it comes to access to birth control, counseling, STD and HIV prevention, and the great majority of the other services Planned Parenthood offers. And I'm all for providing these for free to those who can't afford them otherwise. The Catholic Church and the neoCons who want to eliminate these programs need to be stopped.

However, and correct me if I'm wrong, these services are available now. Does any sort of restriction to taking advantage of them exist? If not, then we get to where an argument against providing state funded abortions could be considered legitimate.

You know, we're all for spaying and neutering our pets. This will probably be received quite negatively, but given that we've just about reached the point of over populating this poor little planet, perhaps we need to revisit the concept of forced sterilization of humans.

Roger, no negative reception here about your pet comment.I am not even saying we need to fully pay for abortion. Point is they want to make sure it is not even available. Outlawing a law, in my opinion. In every small way they can. Shutting down PP, which for many is the only way to get low cost services for other things besides abortion, is stupid.

Thanks Fro, I thought it was a done deal that Romney has it in the bag. I need to pay more attention to what they are actually up to.

nobody can 'outlaw' abortion on demand. roe v. wade assures that. we could no more do that than we could re-introduce slavery.

the issue is WHO PAYS? if a state refuses to fund a planned parenthood clinic because it performs abortions, that does NOTHING to prevent a woman from obtaining an abortion.

fwiw, when scotus decided roe v. wade, the opinion did not say abortion was a right. essentially, the MEN realized that they could not know what it was like to be pregnant or to be a mother. so they said they wouldn't MAKE IT ILLEGAL. they left it up to the conscience of each woman to decide for herself.

roger-*You know, we're all for spaying and neutering our pets. This will probably be received quite negatively, but given that we've just about reached the point of over populating this poor little planet, perhaps we need to revisit the concept of forced sterilization of humans.*

A little late cinco de mayo partying? Sounds like a House Republican plan for people of a "different" color.

roger- *However, and correct me if I'm wrong, these services are available now. Does any sort of restriction to taking advantage of them exist? If not, then we get to where an argument against providing state funded abortions could be considered legitimate.*

The FBI is asking Internet companies not to oppose a controversial proposal that would require firms, including Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, and Google, to build in backdoors for government surveillance. . . . That included a scheduled trip this month to the West Coast — which was subsequently postponed — to meet with Internet companies’ CEOs and top lawyers. . . .

The FBI general counsel’s office has drafted a proposed law that the bureau claims is the best solution: requiring that social-networking Web sites and providers of VoIP, instant messaging, and Web e-mail alter their code to ensure their products are wiretap-friendly.

It seems every time something gets stopped, the Kansas Legislature kicks out new laws that make it impossible for abortion clinics to operate. And the Gov automatically signs.

This article covers how a judge is allowing an ACLU case against one of the laws to proceed. What caught my attention is that this is an insurance law the Legislature passed. Comprehensive plans cannot cover abortion; women who want this coverage must buy a rider to their policy. The ACLU complaint is that women are being unfairly discriminated against because they're being forced to pay more than men.

What's especially relevant with this discussion is that this is one of the Affordable Health Care controversies that just hit WA State during the last Legislative session. The Feds just possibly cannot mandate abortion coverage in that we currently have laws that won't allow federal funding for an abortion. Additionally, this may fall under the purview of state's rights.

Based on this, the WA State House passed ESHB 2330 right before the end of the regular legislative session and sent it to the Senate. ESHB dictated that all insurance plans sold in WA State that cover maternity care must also provide abortion coverage. Gov Gregoire was waiting for the Senate to pass it so she could sign it to law, and opponents were talking about a voter referendum to have it overturned.

Well, ESHB never made it before the Senate during the special session - so it died.

Gov Brownback signed two bills. One requires doctors to obtain notarized statements from both parents before performing abortions on girls 17 or younger. The other bill declares a fetus can feel pain at about 21 weeks, and bans abortions after this time except when the mother's life is endangered.

The first bill ensures parental authority was obtained; the claim was that some doctors lied about making the verbal notification previously required. The second was an attempt to manipulate the current Roe v. Wade interpretation, which says state rights trump individual rights when the fetus gains viability (argued at between 24 and 28 weeks).

No idea whether courts overturned these two laws. But they both fell within the realm of reinforcing the conservative, religious values held in Kansas and other Bible belt states - neither can be considered loony tunes. Unless you're an ardent pro-choice advocate, that is.

Here's the CNet article that nailingit's Salon link sourced their article from. There's a lot more detail on the why behind this request by the FBI. The FBI's proposal would amend a 1994 law, called the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, or CALEA, that currently applies only to telecommunications providers, not Web companies. The Federal Communications Commission extended CALEA in 2004 to apply to broadband networks.

roger- I'm sorry, I posted the wrong link. I will try and do better. :) I was in a hurry and posted what popped up first. Please view this vid as it represents what I was talking about. At 1:30 Rachel explains what the Republicans are doing to circumvent current abortion law in Kansas.

Mitt Romney averted embarrassment as he was declared the winner of a presidential straw poll in Maine’s nonbinding caucuses. He won 39 percent of the vote, barely edging out Representative Ron Paul of Texas, the only other Republican candidate to campaign actively in the state. In practical terms, the straw poll in Maine is a meaningless “beauty contest” that does not award any delegates. Delegates will be awarded at a later date.

2012 Caucus Process

Delegate Allocation: None of Maine's 24 delegates will be bound to any candidate as a result of the precinct caucuses which started on Feb. 4 and end on Feb. 11. Twenty-one delegates will be elected at state convention in May, though not necessarily in connection to the caucus results. The state's three Republican National Committee members remaining as unpledged to any candidate.

Eligibility: Maine’s caucus is open only to registered Republicans. Unregistered or independent voters can register as Republicans at the caucus.

From USA Today- Charles Cragin, a Romney supporter who lost Saturday's bid to chair the convention, called the turn of events at the Maine convention "bizarre." Cragin said the Paul-led delegation may not be recognized at the national convention because of violations of rules of procedure this weekend in Augusta.

"They have so phenomenally screwed this up that they will go to Tampa and not be seated," Cragin said.

Yea, the point is, there is no point to what they did. The caucus was a joke, a huge waste of time and the convention was a joke. The crap they pulled was stupid and a waste of money. No wonder the Republican'ts are in the shape they are in. Again, what a joke.

Not only that but if I was a member of THAT party in Maine, I'd sue the party for misrepresenting the wishes of the party members. According to the vote, Romney won around 39% and Paul won 34.9%. That gives Romney 12 delegates and Paul 10. But as we all know, that caucus didn't mean squat, so why have it. A HUGE WASTE OF MONEY.

The caucus meant everything the beauty contest meant nothing. The delegates elected at caucuses voted in convention. The state chairman invented numbers for Belfast, eliminated the rest of Waldo county, refused to count Washington and Hancock counties and invalidated the results from parts of Cumberland county in order to come up with a Romney win. The majority of the delegates to convention from the caucuses were Paul's that makes Paul the winner.

nailingit — May 6, 2012 at 8:42 p.m. "Please view this vid as it represents what I was talking about."

Rachel Maddow??? She makes Ed Schultz look middle of the road!! Sourcing her is like one of our conservative members using Glen Beck or Sean Hannity as an authority. You were better of using an Occupy source as a reference - so sorry I misdirected you.